Abochhini (woman's shawl)
1850-1900
Locale
Sindh
Thar Parkar District
Country
Pakistan
Object
shawl
Medium
Silk and mirror (shisha) embroidery on cotton
Accession Number
1953.29
Credit Line
Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Gift of Charles Winfred Douglas
Abocchini (woman's shawl), Thar Parkar, Indus River Delta region, Pakistan, before 1927. Cotton and silk with double chain stitch embroidery and mirrorwork (shisha); 78 x 51 in. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Gift of Charles Winfred Douglas, 1953.29.
Dimensions
length: 78 in, 198.1200 cm; width: 51 in, 129.5400 cm
Department
Avenir Institute of Textile Arts and Fashion
Collection
Textile Arts and Fashion-Asian
This object is currently on view
Shawls like this were presented to a bride as part of her trousseau and later worn on public occasions. Specific patterns and techniques are identified with certain regions and ethnic groups. Stylized blossoms and flowering plants are favored motifs in this desert area. Here they are organized into defined areas around an eight-lobed rosette. In the borders, a triangle, an ancient Hindu symbol for a temple is joined point-to-point to form an hourglass shape that alternates with a flowering plant. The small, inset mirrors are characteristic of work from Sindh.
Known Provenance
Charles Winfred Douglas [1867-1944], Denver, CO; gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 1953.
Exhibition History
- "Fabulous Floral Fabrics," November 23, 2002 - May 4, 2003 (DAM)
- "Cover Story," May 17, 2013 - April 27, 2014 (DAM)
- “Weaving a Foundation: Cornerstones of the Textile Arts Collection” — Denver Art Museum, 2/25/2024
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